


Second

by Zjol



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, First Love, First Time, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-07 10:37:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20974532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zjol/pseuds/Zjol
Summary: It was new, unknown, unfamiliar, and awkward, but it was allowed to be and it had to be.“Can I come over?”Ekko stopped and looked at the boy he was holding hands with. “Over where?” he asked.Ezreal chewed his lip. “To your house,” he said, after a pause. “I’d like to visit your home.”“My home sucks,” Ekko replied flatly. He turned to continue walking, only to be held back in place by the Piltovian. He breathed a quick sigh before continuing: “It really does, I guarantee it. Now can we move on?”“Please?”Ezreal felt the heavy gaze drop on his skin, thick and glaringly warm in the cool afternoon. Ekko’s eyes were steadily holding on, the tension in his brows strung tight, as if it’d snap if he were to blink.“No,” he answered.Defeated, Ezreal moved his feet to fall into step with Ekko’s. “Okay,” he mumbled.





	1. Parallel Convergence

It wasn’t his appearance.

His spiked silver locks fit right in—in fact, it was one of the tamer hairstyles sported in the student body—bright hair shone dull in competition of its kind. And he was human, at least that was as far as Ezreal assumed as such, making Ekko yet another bland species at the Academy. 

At the proposed risk of sounding offensive, they even had a sentient robot in the junior grade. There were also yordles scattered throughout, their short heights a hazard to some.

It definitely wasn’t Ekko’s overconfident saunter—plenty fine examples of the top students practiced the same walk; Draven wasn’t a scholarly type of any means nor a coach’s superstar, but he managed to strut the same anyhow. 

And it wasn’t Ekko’s grades. They were good—well, they had to be—but in terms of comparison, they were average at best. It wasn’t a special occasion that a new student gets accepted—plenty of skilled individuals were gradually added into the student body—it wasn’t a rare event of any sort. 

* * *

“Hi! Ekko!” Lux waved, enthused. “Over here!” 

The boy looked her way, as expressionlessly passive as the day he had arrived. After giving the blonde a curt and barely noticeable nod, he turned away, leaving her to lowering her hand, feeling slighted. 

She sat back down. “He’s kind of snobby,” Ezreal said quietly. 

“No, he’s not. He doesn't even know who I am. That’s probably why he didn't feel comfortable waving back,” she said airily.

“Or maybe he’s just rude,” Ezreal said, drawing his brows together, just slightly, as he mulled it over. 

Lux gave a shrug of noncommitment. “I’d still like to give him the benefit of doubt. A vote’s a vote, Ez.”

* * *

At the end of classes, Ezreal went to his locker to pack his bags. He tucked the books he needed for homework and shut the metal door, inwardly cringing at the high-pitched whine the hinges gave. 

A tuft of silver caught his eye and he immediately caught Ekko casting him an odd look. “Oh. Hey,” Ezreal managed. He had no idea his locker was close by. He hadn’t seen Ekko near the area, but seeing as they were in the same grade, he felt stupid for not realizing. 

Ekko nodded to him, as curt as it was towards Lux earlier that day. “Hey.” He turned away and hitched his bag over a shoulder. Ezreal noticed that it was well-worn, the canvas soft and fraying and patched up by hand. He had been too caught up in the details of the stitches as it disappeared when he noticed that Ekko was gone with it. 

* * *

The next day, Ezreal sat in class, idly drafting up designs for a sculpture of sorts (he hasn’t given it a function yet—fashion over function, right?). With a bored exhale of breath, he looked up and took note of the time. It was just under a minute until the bell rang when Ekko walked through, nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t just scraped by on time. 

Ezreal watched as Ekko found a seat quickly and sat down, immediately assuming his signature position; an elbow on the desk, a hand propping up his chin. He looked like he had better places to be. Ezreal couldn't blame him.

* * *

By lunch, Ezreal watched Ekko slip out through the second floor east wing exit and, with bated curiosity, the blond followed his path and found himself in the side garden of the school. He didn’t visit the area often; there weren’t any benches or tables to be seated at so it didn't make a very good lunch spot.

Ezreal perused the grove, winding around the large flowery bushes. He hadn’t seen where the other boy had gone and it left him confused, but determined. He couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. 

Ezreal clutched his lunch bag as he began to turn around and circle back. Maybe Ekko had turned the other way. 

“Can I help you?” 

Ezreal twisted around and gave an embarrassingly tight twirl as he searched for the source. 

“Up here.”

And so he looked up there. 

Ekko was seated on a tree branch as he bit at his sandwich. He didn't seem to be too interested in what Ezreal was doing, but he did seem wary. The afternoon sun shone brightly from behind him and Ezreal squinted to avoid being blinded. 

From where he was standing, a halo wrapped around the shape of Ekko’s hunched form and the sparse foliage that surrounded him, evoking a sense of a cosmic aura, a supernatural glow. Ezreal felt silly for thinking it. 

“Hey,” Ezreal said. He immediately regretted it, noticing that it was the only word he might have ever uttered to Ekko. He winced. “I know other words, too.”

Ekko didn't laugh at his joke. He didn't even smile. Or even offer a pitying chuckle. 

“Is it a blond thing?”

Ezreal frowned. That was trite. And unnecessary. 

“Haha, very funny. Blond jokes are so original,” he snorted, crossing his arms. He had heard plenty of blond jokes in his life—and having been Lux’s friend, he had heard enough for both of them. 

Ekko regarded him, pausing his chewing. He looked at Ezreal thoughtfully, like trying to figure him out like a puzzle. “Not what I meant.”

A little too defensively, Ezreal responded, “Then how did you mean it?”

Ekko seemed to lose complete interest in the conversation. It surprised the Piltovian and he only watched as Ekko rewrapped his sandwich and zipped it up into his bag. 

He slung a patched strap over his shoulder and stood from his seat, unwavering. The sunlight hit Ezreal in the face as it passed through the space it had once been blocked from and he blinked at the attack. 

He almost missed Ekko landing on the grass heavily, the contents of his bag clinking at the impact. Shifting it, he walked away, abruptly ending the conversation. 

It was rude. And quite frankly, a little snobby. Ezreal ran to catch up with him. 

He opened his mouth to call him out, but Ekko beat him to it,

“The blonde girl keeps waving at me and trying to talk to me while you keep following me around. That's what I meant.”

“What, a girl can’t say hi?”

Ekko bristled at that. “She can. Just as long as she doesn’t expect much.” 

With a scoff, Ezreal rolled his eyes. “It’s just a greeting. No need to be so uncivil.” Ekko stopped mid-step as he turned to glare at him. 

“Why? Because I’m from Zaun?” 

“No, that's not it at all.” At least that was what Ezreal thought. 

“I don't need some Demacian to lecture me on what I can and can’t do. I don’t very much appreciate being yelled at from across the room and followed around during lunch,” he seethed.

Absentmindedly, Ezreal was quick to correct him, “Actually, I’m from Piltover—”

“Is there a difference?” Ekko snapped. He didn’t seem to be angry, just irritated. Just annoyed. Ezreal didn’t slow down to notice.

“Hey!” he cried out. “They’re two different city states!” Of course, they’re different! They’re different, right?

Ekko scoffed and resumed his brisk pace as he shook his head, white locks bouncing. He continued to walk down the path that winded around the school through the rest of the garden with Ezreal trailing behind him, still deep in thought. 

Ekko made an impatient face and stopped to turn around. “Can I help you?” he asked again, a bit exasperated this time. 

“Yeah,” Ezreal quipped, not skipping a beat. “Find us a good lunch spot. Let’s chat.”

A look of incredulity slapped across Ekko’ face. “We are not friends.”

Ezreal grinned. “Not yet. I’m Ezreal.”

He tried not to let his smile falter as Ekko dropped his gaze. The Zaunite gripped the handle of his knapsack. 

“I don't make a very good friend,” he said, matter-of-fact. He didn't seem to be ashamed by it. “Don’t expect anything.”

Ezreal felt the push to burst out with some sort of encouragement, but as Ekko turned away, he felt it was best not to. He continued to trail quietly behind him, the silence unfamiliar. 

Ezreal was jerked back to the present as Ekko meandered off the concrete path and towards low trees with hanging leaves. Ekko looked over his shoulder to check if Ezreal was still behind him before pulling himself up and disappearing behind the collage of greens. The blond followed suit. 

He climbed up the short, but deeply inclined path, pulling himself up with some effort onto a large boulder. It was rough around the edges, but flattened on the top. He pulled off his knapsack as he surveyed the scene. 

“Wow,” Ezreal breathed. “Cosy.” 

Ekko, seated a couple boulders away, leaned against the trunk of a thin tree, trying not to appear too interested in what the Piltovian thought. 

Ezreal began pulling his lunch box from his bag when Ekko spoke,

“Yeah. The leaves give some privacy. The first week gave me a headache. Needed a space to breathe.”

Ezreal opened up his food container and brought his thumb to his mouth, “Yeah, I bet. You’re the first Zaunite student.”

Ekko knitted his brows together. “No. I’m not,” he said pointedly. 

Confused, Ezreal racked his brain. “Yeah..,” he said slowly. “You are.” Ekko didn't look convinced, but already seemed to have decided against protesting. He reclined against his tree some more and looked away. 

Ezreal began to eat as continued to explore the area around him. The garden was well-tended. It surprised Ezreal, but knowing the League, it shouldn’t have. He looked up towards the school and tried to peer through the leaves. He wondered whether people inside of the building could see them sitting there, like watching ants on a picnic table. 

“Do you at least like it here?” Ezreal prodded. Ekko didn't make a move to respond. “I mean, excluding the whole fiasco.”

He waited patiently as he poked at his meal. He felt as if he was talking to himself, honestly, as Ekko was still against the tree, blending into its elements. 

The Zaunite drew a deep breath, like he was preparing himself to relax. “It's alright.”

“That’s good,” Ezreal nodded, not sure on how to continue, not that he had, too, because Ekko spoke up quickly,

“How long have you been here?”

Ezreal peered up from his food. He didn't really expect Ekko to make attempts at rallying the conversation forwards. He quickly looked back down. In his stupor, he had almost neglected to reply. 

“Been here since first year.”

Ekko gave a low whistle and looked away. At that, Ezreal realized Ekko had been watching him. “I see.”

“Make any friends here yet?” Ezreal asked. Ekko scrunched his face, still turned away. 

“Besides my blond stalkers?” He raised his brows. “No.”

Ezreal cocked a smile, feeling a glimmer of kinship unfold. It was warm in his belly and it flooded up to his cheeks. He must have been blushing because Ekko looked embarrassed for him. He didn't point it out, though. 

“Do you still live in Zaun? Or do you live in the dormito—”

“Zaun.”

Ah. “Long commute, huh?”

Ekko shrugged. “It's alright.” He clarified, “It’s not that far. I get driven anyways.”

“By who?”

Ekko stiffened with what Ezreal assumed to be regret and he looked down at his bag, a hand picking at the seams between the different fabrics. 

Like a pin dropping, Ezreal felt the tension and quickly sensed that it may have not been the right question to ask. “You don’t have to answer that,” he blurted out, uncomfortable. 

“A chauffeur.” The Zaunite answered anyways, albeit quite stiffly. Ezreal bit his tongue back to keep from pressing forwards. Ekko wanted to stop the conversation there and the blond felt happy to oblige, though he truly was wholly curious. 

Ezreal had many experiences with chauffeurs—not because his family or he personally had hired one, but because of his time spent with Lux. 

With her lineage as a Crownguard, she had plenty fancy privileges and it included getting personally driven to school on occasion. Sometimes, Ezreal would be caught in the mix and by association, he would get picked up along the way. But she was an exception, not the rule. 

So he was curious. As he tried to come up with a way to phrase a question to quell his interest, he watched Ekko fidget with his knapsack. 

The bag he carried with him looked to be something he’s had for a very long time. It was made up of different canvas cloths and held together with crude twine. If it had been a new knapsack before, Ezreal couldn’t see any remnants of its past self. And he couldn’t bring himself to outright ask. Not yet.

So he’d start small. “Every day?"

Ekko looked at him. “Yeah.”

“How long does it take?” Ezreal asked. “Altogether, I mean.”

“A couple hours per day, I guess.”

“How’s the drive up here?”

“Fine.”

Unfazed by the brief responses, Ezreal pressed on, “So, what do you do during the whole ride to sch—”

Ekko made a face. “You can stop beating around the bush.”

Ezreal raised his brows, cheeks warmed by his embarrassment. He was never good at feigning. 

“Just wondering about your chauffeur situation,” he said, embarrassingly flustered.

“Like what? Just ask.”

A little taken aback from the open invitation, Ezreal stumbled on his speech in attempt to string words into coherent sentences. “Like how? Who are your parents?”

Ekko thought for a moment. 

“Never mind,” he said. He had uttered it with an air of apathy. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

They sat in ample silence as the afternoon breeze passed, rustling the leaves in their wake. Ezreal could hear a group of students through an open window of the school, laughing and cheering. He had lost his appetite. 

“Sorry,” Ezreal offered, unsure on how to proceed, feeling like the awkwardness was his fault. There was some complacency he didn’t want to approach. “Didn’t know—”

“Lunch is going to end soon,” Ekko interrupted. He carded his hand through his hair. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” Ezreal replied, “Sure—”

But Ekko had already scaled down the hill of boulders and had disappeared behind the hanging foliage. 

* * *

Ezreal would be lying if he said that he wasn’t thinking about Ekko. 

The Zaunite was odd. Totally and utterly weird, to the point of rudeness. 

But still, as impatient he seemed to be with Ezreal, he didn’t seem to dislike his company. At least, that's what Ezreal could assume. At least, that’s what Ezreal hoped. 

The next day at lunch, Ezreal made his way to the same spot. Gods know why, it wasn’t exactly like he was invited back, not that it  _ belonged _ to Ekko (and not that he had even seen Ekko that day), but a part of him had hopefully expected the Zaunite to be there. 

He hadn’t told Lux about it yet. It was a selfish thought, but Ezreal really wanted to keep it to himself until Ekko would be okay with Ezreal telling her—not that he had  _ explicitly _ stated that he  _ wasn’t _ . But something in Ezreal’s gut told him to keep it on the down low. Just for now.

Besides, Lux was a busy social butterfly and she was probably off doing her club meetings, just generally stuff Ezreal did not care much for. He’d rather spend the short lunch break relaxing and doing stuff he wanted, not be tied down with obligations and commitments. 

As Ezreal made his way through the green curtains of leaves, he strained to hear for any signs of the Zaunite. He pulled himself up and sat on the rock, looking around. 

Ekko wasn’t there. 

Ezreal didn’t want to admit the utter disappointment that curled in his chest, but he was really looking forward to talk to Ekko, to learn more about him. He was a still very much gossiped about in school, but it was all rumours—little to no truths. Ekko hadn’t made any attempts to rectify it all. 

Well, Ezreal figured he had to eat lunch sometime. He sat, cross legged, and pulled out his lunch kit. 

Halfway through his sandwich, he heard the soft footfalls on grass and he perked up, turning to the sound. It came padding his way, the steps rustling the trimmed blades, closer and closer.

It grew louder, then softer, the person walking away with it. 

Just a passerbyer. 

Ezreal finished his lunch alone.

* * *

After school, Lux found Ezreal, having almost missed him, skulking his way out of the halls. 

“Hey!” she greeted, patting him on the shoulder. “So, today, we started planning the Valentine’s Day event.”

“With the student union?”

“No, but they might have a booth. They don’t know, yet,” she replied, flipping her hair back. “It’s with the student council.”

Ezreal looked over at her, plenty confused. “What’s the difference?”

She sucked in her cheeks as they continued to walk. “Well, for one thing, the student council is the general body for event planning whereas the union focuses on student rights.”

“Rights?”

“Yeah, like the lunch programs and schedule changes. The union works with the school administration while the council applies for permission to use certain grounds for certain events and the like,” she said, rattling off. 

“Sure,” Ezreal responded, a little overwhelmed. 

“Yeah, anyways, we wanted to do a Valentine’s Day dance—”

“There’s always a Valentine’s Day dance—”

“Yes, but this one is going to be the best ever,” she enunciated. “We’re trying to rent a ferris wheel and have a bunch of carnival booths—”

“A ferris wheel on school grounds?”

She nodded feverishly, grinning ear to ear. “Yeah, it's going to be great! We’re trying to do a lover’s carnival type thing,” she said dreamily. Ezreal already knew she had someone in mind. 

He coughed, trying not to seem too obvious about it. “What about people who don’t necessarily have a date in mind?”

“Well, there’s going to be a matchmaking booth,” she said, almost singsong. 

“Lux, you’re too much.”

She pouted, “I’m allowed to be sappy for Valentine’s Day.”

“Fair enough,” Ezreal said with a shrug. They arrived at the front drop off and pick up road and he waved goodbye as she stepped into the long vehicle. As he circled down the sidewalk towards the bus station, he caught a flash of white from the corner eyes. 

He turned and watched as Ekko entered a sleek car painted black with silver trim. It looked nice and expensive, even to Ezreal, who was not a very pronounced car expert. A plump, tuxed man shut the car door behind him and before the tinted windows obscured Ezreal’s view, he noted that Ekko looked more miffed than usual. He didn’t notice the blond and seemed more interested in putting on an impatient face. 

The chauffeur entered the driver’s seat and soon, the vehicle disappeared down the street. 

Ezreal thought about how upset Ekko seemed to be all the way home. 

* * *

He knew better than to bring it up. 

Ezreal arrived earlier than usual to school. He felt a little unsettled that morning and decided to visit the little hill. The little secret. 

He climbed up and offhandedly wondered whether Ekko would be there also. He peered over the boulder. 

He wasn’t there. 

* * *

Ezreal hauled his lunch in his bag and followed Lux to one of her lunch time club meetings. The members droned on and on about the end of the school year event. Ezreal didn’t really care. 

* * *

“You visited it recently.”

Startled, Ezreal slammed his locker shut. He whirled around as Ekko winced at the noise. 

Ezreal didn't know what to stay, his mouth opening then shutting, opening then shutting. Finally and feebly, “Yeah, sorry.”

Ekko gave half a shrug of a shoulder. “I don't care. It's not like it belongs to me.”

Ezreal hitched his knapsack up without a word as he watched the Zaunite carefully, as if he were about to disappear into thin air. 

Ekko looked from the locker to Ezreal, “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

He looked about to turn away and Ezreal reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. The Zaunite regarded the hand with some discomfort, but stopped nevertheless and Ezreal felt somewhat relieved. 

“You wanna hang out?” he spluttered. 

“Hang out?” Ekko repeated. 

“Yeah, we could go get some snacks and, I don’t know, just hang out, you know?”

Ekko remained silent, eyes locked with Ezreal. The blond realized after some time, he still was clutching Ekko’s shoulder and he quickly withdrew his hand.

“No,” Ekko said flatly. Ezreal felt his heart drop a couple feet at the blunt response. “Not today. I’ll see you later.” He left. 

Ezreal mentally punched himself for it. 

* * *

The next week, Ezreal skulked to school. Lux, as such was her nature, took notice.

“You eating ok?” she asked, leaning over him. 

Ezreal was seated on the floor, his back to his locker door. His elbows were settled on his knees as he nodded. “I’m eating fine, Lux.”

She dropped to the floor beside him and peered at him. “Sleeping ok?”

He amused her with a weak upturn of lips. “I’m sleeping fine.”

“No, you’re not,” she quipped, reaching into her bag. “Thank the gods we’re the same skin tone or this wouldn’t even work.” She pulled out a small plastic tube. She plucked the lid off and smeared some of the concealer onto the back of her hand. “Look at the ceiling,” she instructed. 

Ezreal groaned. “I don't need makeup, Lux.” 

He held his head still anyways as she dabbed some of the product beneath his eyes. “Well, whenever I feel tired, I don’t have to  _ look _ tired. It helps me, y’know?” she said. “Fake it ‘til you make it.” 

Ezreal snorted, though she wasn’t wrong.

It wasn’t Lux’s first time putting makeup on him and it wouldn’t be the last. They had near identical skin tones and hair colour and she was always ready to play makeup artist. 

More often than not, Ezreal would let her, but anything involving eyelashes or eyeshadow, he’d decline. He wasn’t quite a fan of her putting anything on or near his eyes. He was a little more than cautious about that. 

“What are you doing to him?” 

Lux turned her head, blonde hairs almost slapping Ezreal across the face as he, too, turned to see the speaker. 

“Putting some concealer on him,” Lux explained. Riven scoffed as she looked to the Piltovian.

“You let your girlfriend put makeup on you?” she asked, raising a brow. 

“She’s not my girl—”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” Lux interjected. “And what’s wrong with wearing makeup? I wear makeup.”

Riven seemed to have a retort on her lips, but decided to keep it to herself. “Nothing,” she settled, averting her gaze. “Do you have your write up for geology?”

Lux popped the lid back on the stick of concealer and began rummaging through her knapsack some more. “Yeah, it’s here. Somewhere.” 

Riven didn’t make any attempts at disguising her impatience as she stood over them with her arms crossed. Ezreal watched her warily. 

He has seen her around the school, usually in a sport uniform from one team or another, running, jumping, catching, or barking orders. She did especially well on the volleyball team, at least that’s what he understood because he honestly did not follow any of the sports the school had. Maybe it was basketball?

Riven caught him staring and she scowled at him to which he suddenly found his sweatshirt quite interesting. 

“Here it is,” Lux proclaimed. “One geology write up! Printed and stapled.”

The silver haired girl took it from her with not so much as a thank you and stalked away. Ezreal exchanged a glance with Lux. 

“She’s nice,” he said. 

“Very,” Lux replied, sitting down. 

“Is she the captain of the volleyball team or was it basketball?”

Lux looked at him oddly. “Neither,” she corrected. “Riven does the track events. I think long jump is her specialty, but she basically does everything.”

“And here I am, doing nothing with my life.”

The Demacian laughed. “You’re too modest, Ez.”

“I have to be good at something,” Ezreal responded, casting her a lopsided grin. She playfully hit his arm in response, a little too rehearsed, like she was rattled with Riven’s rudeness. Her chuckle was just as hollow.

“Class starts soon, but let me know what's keeping you down later at lunch or after school or something.”

“I’m fine, Lux.”

“Sure, Ez. Sure,” she said, standing up and putting her knapsack on. “Talk to you later, okay?”

* * *

Ezreal was waiting at the bus stop half an hour after school had ended. Lux had been busy with her lunch meetings so Ezreal figured he wouldn't bother her then. The stop was bustling with kids, most heading home to the nearby city state of Piltover like himself. Like the school students they were, they were rowdy and chatty, their giggles carrying down the block. School just ended, after all, and people were excited to go home and relax. 

As Ezreal stood and waited, he glanced over to the other side of the school and noticed the same black car. He then looked to his watch. 

It was odd to see the car. Ekko usually was out of the school as soon as the bell rang—he was not one to stick around and chat. Idly, Ezreal wondered what was keeping him. The Zaunite didn't seem like the type to be socializing or up for club meetings, his general demeanour more befitting for one who had far more better things to do than to stay a moment longer than necessary at school.

When a lifted tuft of silver hair poked up from the crowd, Ezreal quickly turned his attention to it, squinting. 

Riven scowled at him before hitching her duffel bag onto a shoulder and turning away. He couldn’t lie. The girl made his insides go cold, like she singlehandedly punched the life out of him, leaving nothing, but a shell of what once used to be a healthy living human being. 

Perhaps, it was the chilly glares or it was the fact Ezreal was wildly intimidated by her—she was scary and someone to be careful around—he did not feel that she liked him very much. But that wasn’t about to stop him.

“Hey,” he said, moving up to her. She regarded him stiffly. 

“Hey,” she replied. 

“No practice today?” 

She made a bemused face. “No, it’s recovery day.”

It was obvious, but Ezreal still wasn’t so sure. “What’s that?”

He could see her straining not to scoff aloud. “It’s a day for when I take it easy on training.”

“Cool. What are you training for?”

She took a drawn out breath. “Long jump for the state qualifications.”

Ezreal nodded as if he fully understood the sport. “That’s really cool. How long have you been long jumping?”

Surprisingly, she looked about to amuse him with a genuine response, but seemed to have thought much better of it as she turned to face him. It was then and there that Ezreal realized how much stockier she was and how much muscle was on her and not on him. 

“Look,” she said, almost tiredly. “You don't have to pretend we’re friends just because your girlfriend is my lab partner.”

He frowned. “But she’s not my girlfriend.”

Riven gave him a pitying look, as if she couldn’t believe he was still lying to her face. Which, by the way, he wasn’t. 

“Right,  _ Ez _ .” She used Lux’s nicknamed for him with a snide sneer. 

“We’re just friends,” he pressed. “I don’t know why you think that about us.”

“Kind of hard not to since you two are always together,” she pointed out. Ezreal chewed on his lip, thinking. 

“Can’t a guy just make a friend?”

Though she kept a firm expression, he could see red of embarrassment creep up to her cheeks. “Guys don’t just make friends.”

“I don't want to know what that means,” Ezreal began, “but I assure you that I’m not that.”

Riven studied his face for a bit, as if to check for any signs of deception. She seemed reluctant to be in the situation. “I’m tired and I don’t believe you one bit, blondie. But I’ll give you a chance, because I have to at least do one good deed for the year.”

“I won’t let you down,” he grinned. 

“We’ll see.”

* * *

They chatted for a bit. 

They did not have much in common—Riven was involved with sports and Ezreal much preferred to stay out of it. He wasn’t a big fan of exercising and he was even less of a fan of organized exercising. Perhaps strategic gameplay was something he’d be able to pitch in about, but Riven seemed to more involved in the individually driven competitions—like long jump. 

When the bus approached from the horizon, Ezreal could feel himself relax at the break of conversation. One could only talk so long about the angles and speed required for a successful jump and he suspected even Riven was beginning to become bored. 

Alas, as the bus stopped by the station, the queue began to file in slowly. Ezreal looked back across the street as he shuffled along the snake of a line and noticed Ekko exiting the school grounds from across the street. 

He waved at him, hoping to get his attention, though he got more than that. Ekko signalled for him to meet up with him. Confused, but not more confused than Riven, Ezreal exited the queue with a quick goodbye. 

“Hi Ekko!” Ezreal jogged across the road and stopped beside him, rightfully curious. He didn't know what had compelled him to run away from his bus home. All he understood was that he didn't want to ignore Ekko nor make it seem like he didn’t care—because he cared. A lot. 

“Hi Ezreal.” He was quick and to the point, as serious as he normally was. He was still wearing that patchwork backpack. 

“What are you doing at the school so late? I usually see you leaving as soon as you can,” Ezreal paused as he looked around. “Where’s your chauffeur?”

“Change of plans,” Ekko said, waving it off. 

It didn't seem to matter to him and Ezreal didn’t know how to respond other than a simple, “Oh.” 

“Figured I’d take you up on that offer to hang out.” Ezreal stared. Then pondered. Then stared some more. It was evident that it made Ekko nervous. He gripped a strap of his bag as his dark brows lightly furrowed. “If you want,” he added. 

“I do want. I so want,” Ezreal said quickly. “It's just that it's very out of the blue...you didn't give me much notice.” 

Ekko pressed his lips together. “You didn't really give me any notice yesterday when you had asked.”

“That’s fair,” Ezreal said with an embarrassed laugh. “I guess you're only returning the favour.” 

“So.”

“So?”

“Let’s go.”

* * *

They were at some spot with high school student staples—fries and soda. Ekko peered out the window, slowly working through his own plate. It had been a considerably quiet walk up to the diner, but it did not seem to faze the Zaunite. He looked quite comfortable in the silence. 

Ezreal on the other hand was unaccustomed to it. Chatter came naturally to him—maybe it was a Piltovian thing. 

“How’re your fries?” Ezreal asked, bringing his soda to his mouth. 

Ekko slowly looked over to the blond. “Fine,” he said.

The silence settled once more as Ekko turned his attention to the window. Ezreal sipped at his drink, finding nothing to do but to watch. 

It wasn’t so bad, he thought. Ekko was interesting to look at and he didn't seem too concerned with the staring. He looked to be too preoccupied. 

“Something wrong?” Ezreal asked. 

“Yeah,” he said. The atmosphere felt wrong and Ezreal did not feel welcomed to ask. He picked at his own fries, trying to come up other conversation topics, but found none. 

“What do you normally do after school?” he asked. 

Ekko exhaled with a little more force than necessary. “I go on a long trip back to Zaun. I do homework.” He scratched at his silver locks. “But I guess you're asking about the fun stuff. So, tinkering, I suppose.”

“Tinkering?” Well, colour Ezreal’s interest piqued. “Like with machinery?” 

“There are other kinds of tinkering?” Upon being met with silence, Ekko turned his head from the window. “Sorry,” he said, a little stiffly. “I know I do that.”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it,” Ezreal replied sheepishly. 

Ekko looked over his drink at him. “No, you’re not.” 

“I know I get a little annoying sometimes.”

Ekko didn't argue. He plucked a fry from his plate and ate it as he stared out the window. As Ezreal opened his mouth to break the silence, Ekko spoke up, “What do you do?”

“Uh, I tinker, too.”

“Yeah, and I’ve heard a lot about that.”

Then why'd you ask? Ezreal thought. “Heard good things or bad things?”

Ekko gave a small smile. “A little of both.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe more good than bad,” the Zaunite admitted. “I was just teasing you.”

“Only Lux is allowed to do that,” he joked. 

Ekko raised a brow. “Your girlfriend?”

The blond shook his head. “No, never in a million years—”

“Why? Because she has good taste?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Ezreal said, feigning offence. “I happen to be a prize.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

Ezreal rolled his eyes at that. “Lux and I are just friends. We met in first year. Been best buddies ever since.” 

“How? Doesn't seem like you two have anything in common,” Ekko pointed out. “Other than being blond, I suppose.”

Ezreal shrugged. Ekko was perceptive and blunt, leaving Ezreal to have second thoughts on telling him. It wasn't exactly discussion material for a first hang out. 

Ekko picked up his drink and Ezreal watched as he sipped at it, patiently still waiting for an answer. Plus, Ezreal didn’t know how it was like in Zaun and whether it was accepted or not. 

“I don’t know. I guess we sorta clicked,” he said finally. It wasn’t a complete lie.

Ekko didn't look like he believed him at all, squinting with skepticism. 

“Sure,” he said. 

So now Ezreal was curious. “You have a girlfriend?”

Ekko grinned into his drink. “Why? You applying?”

Ezreal felt a fry slip from his fingers as he stared at the boy across the table from him. Did he know? Did someone tell him? Was he mocking him? 

Worse still, Ezreal felt a glimmer of hope flutter in his chest. Was Ekko like him? Did he  _ like _ him? This was not something Ezreal had planned for. 

At some point, he realized his jaw was still hanging and he quickly regained his composure with a clear of his throat. 

Ekko frowned slightly. “It was just a joke,” he explained. “Didn't mean to...I don’t know, offend you?” He sounded unsure and apologetic, like he had crossed an important cultural boundary he didn't know about. 

Ezreal sat back in his chair, trying to keep his fair skin from being overwhelmed by the blush creeping up his neck. “Yeah, I know. I just didn't expect it from you.”

“I’m just a regular person, Ezreal.”

“Didn’t say you weren't.”

“You seemed to have implied it.”

Ezreal, with his face burning, took a big drink of soda. “I didn't mean to.”

Ekko ate some more fries, silently mulling over something. He finally spoke, certainty evident in his words, “The answer is no. I’m not really interested.”

In girls or in a relationship? Ezreal couldn't keep from thinking it. 

So he had a crush on someone unattainable, big deal. 

It happened every other day. 

He looked up and caught Ekko watching him. One half of him hoped that Ekko knew and the other half hoped to leave the plane of existence before telling the Zaunite anything. 

“How’s Zaun?”

Immediately, Ekko’s eyes hardened, his entire demeanor changing within an instant. Ezreal shrunk back, as if he were to explode, and he quickly regretted it as he caught Ekko’s reaction, as minute as it was. 

“How do you mean?”

Ezreal shrugged. “I don’t know, I mean like...how is life there?”

Bad choice. Ekko looked away at the glass panes, frowning in thought. “Not good. It's actually pretty awful.”

So much for conversation. Ezreal soon understood why Ekko had reacted the way he did when Zaun was brought up—it wasn’t exactly pleasant. Not to live in and definitely not to talk about. 

That wasn’t to say it was a complete shithole, right? 

Ezreal hesitated to even ask. 

“But you seem to be doing pretty well,” Ezreal replied with caution. Ekko blinked then squinted at the faraway horizon, as if something interesting was out there catching his eye. 

“At a price,” he said. “That’s just how it is.”

If Ezreal had hesitated before, he was now at a full stop. The conversation wasn’t going anywhere good. 

Tactfully, Ekko redirected. It gave Ezreal some hope, like the other boy still cared enough to chat to attempt to make it pleasant again. 

“How’s Piltover?”

Ezreal could answer that easily. “Really great. Technology is a huge thing over there—you know, like innovation, like finding the next big advancement in science, invention and stuff. It’s like  _ the _ place to go to for the future of machinery.”

Ekko gave him a wry smile. “I knew all that. But I want to hear your thoughts on it.”

Ezreal fell silent. He was a tiny bit stumped. “I guess I’m not too crazy for the new stuff.”

“You work with antique tech.”

Of course, Ekko knew. “Yeah.” Ezreal wondered quietly on what else the Zaunite knew. “We still don't fully understand how it all works, but we build our technological advances off of it.” He dipped a fry into ketchup. “I sort of want to be an archaeologist.”

“That's awesome.”

Ezreal dared to smile at that. “How about you?” he asked.

Ekko hesitated and his eyes flicked away. “I haven't given it much thought.”

“Oh.” It was unusual to Ezreal. He had always assumed everyone had a dream job of some kind. He supposed Ekko was a little more pragmatic. In any case, “You’re brilliant, so I’m sure you’ll do fine in whatever you end up doing.”

Ekko paused to fully comprehend his words before breaking into a small smile as he lifted his drink. “Gee, thanks, mom,” he said. 

Ezreal flushed. He was being teased again. Harmlessly so, but teased nevertheless. 

“Why’d you decide to come to the academy?” Ezreal asked, putting his drink down. The academy was somewhat of a prestigious school, its intake spanned over all of Valoran, inviting folks of different backgrounds, city states, race, and species. 

Ezreal didn't like admitting it, but the academy was somewhat reserved for those with records of academic excellence or with some sort of commendable skill. 

The Piltovian could be an apathetic bastard in some subjects, but he did hold skills in arcane technologies and mapping. It's what his entry and continual stay depended on. 

Now Lux—he could certainly see why she had been admitted—she was athletic, a go-getter, and amazing in the field of magic. It was antiquated and, at times, couldn't hold up to other techniques of construction, but her ability with it was adaptability. She was amazing at analyzing and harnessing spells, like it was a simple study. 

It was rare nowadays for someone to be a spell caster. People have developed easier and simpler ways to harness arcane energy and depending on only those who had the ability to use magic was wasteful. 

Though Ezreal would never say that to her face. 

Ekko grimaced, catching the Piltovian off-guard. “Because I have to.”

Oddly vague and oddly pessimistic. Ezreal wasn’t sure on whether he liked the answer. “Your parents made you?” he asked, incredulous. Sure, school was rough and boring at times, but it was a privilege to study in the League. It baffled Ezreal. 

“No, they’re gone.” 

The blond looked down. “Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” He snuck a peek at his face; it was turned back to the window. “You’re with the rest of your family?”

Ekko shook his head. “I have my friends.”

“Back in Zaun?”

He nodded. 

“How do you pay for school?” 

Ekko shrugged his shoulders tensely. “I’m a ward of the state. A guy pays for everything and he forced me to go to school. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here.”

Ezreal tried not to wince at the harsh words. 

Ekko looked at him from the corner of his eyes. “I'm not saying the League sucks...it's just that I have better things to do in Zaun.”

“Like what?”

Ekko squinted. “Important things.”

So he wasn't telling him. That was fine, sort of. “How’s life with your, uh, foster da—”

“Guardian. He's not my dad, he's not my foster dad, he's just a guardian of me until I turn of age,” Ekko crossed his arms, quiet for a moment in thought. “It's fine. He makes me do a lot of stupid things—”

“Like go to school?” Ezreal cocked his head. “What's more important than education? He's paying for everything and he even got you a chauffeur. It doesn’t sound all too bad.”

Ekko gave him a weary look, but gave no response. 

Ezreal flushed. “Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything,” he stammered. He realized he was being a bit whiny and a bit presumptuous. “I don't really know much about your life.”

“You’re right, though,” Ekko shrugged. “It's not all too bad.” He made a move to grab his knapsack. 

“Heading out?” 

Ekko hitched his bag onto his shoulders. “Yeah, let's go.”

Let's? “As in together?” Ezreal asked. 

Ekko scoffed. “Yeah. Unless you need to go somewhere.” 

“No, I, uh,” he stood quickly to gather his bag. “No, let's go.”

* * *

Ezreal didn't want to make too many assumptions about his new friend, but he did already assume Ekko liked nature, so he led them to the local park. 

Sloping trees and rolling hills made up the base of the park. Ezreal knew there was a small trail up the largest of the mounds and a pond at the base. He had spent a lot of time in the park when he had been younger and he had pretty much explored every nook and cranny there was to be explored. 

Of course, nature grows and spots he might have recognized would probably have changed, shifted, and transformed, so it meant very little to make a statement like that.

“You been here before?” Ezreal turned to the Zaunite. 

In muted awe, Ekko surveyed the grounds. “No, never.” 

“This way,” Ezreal gestured. “There’s a small trail up to the top. There's some nice scenery. I think we can see the school from there.”

Ekko nodded and followed, wholly intrigued by the overstretching thickets and gnarled roots and branches with vines weaving in between. 

It was a bit of a hike up, but nothing two teens couldn't accomplish. They would have gotten up faster if Ekko didn't disappear every now and then, leaving Ezreal to lose his mind alone on the beaten path. 

“What are you looking at?” he asked, curious. 

Ekko jogged back up to him. “Sorry, I was just looking at the flowers. Zaun doesn't really have parks.”

That left Ezreal a little sad. It was a shame that the simple luxury of a public park was unavailable for so many citizens. Ekko caught the doleful look and he quickly added,

“There were flowers there, too. Zaun native flowers.” He left out the part that most, if not all, were either poisonous or absolutely foul smelling. And usually looked like overgrown rotting lettuce. 

Interesting in their own right, but not very pleasant. 

Immediately, Ezreal’s face lit up again. “That's a relief.”

Ekko weakly smiled at that. 

“Do you want to look at anything else?” the Piltovian asked brightly. 

Ekko shook his head. “No, let’s go.” He paused, surveying the trail around him. “Never mind. No promises.”

Trekking up the beaten path with fewer disappearances, they found themselves at the top and Ekko spoke up. 

“It's nice,” he said. “Thanks for showing me.”

“Yeah, it is,” Ezreal replied, grinning. “And it's no problem.” 

Ekko looked over the landscape before he turned his gaze to Ezreal. He seemed rapt and pensive, the breeze brushing the tips of his silver hair. He looked nice. Really nice. 

Immediately after the thought passed through his mind, Ezreal flushed and keenly hoped Ekko couldn't read minds. 

It was hard not to find him handsome—Ekko was very much handsome—with his distinct upright silver mohawk, his dark cheekbones, and his surly expression. Ezreal felt stupid. 

He always went after stupidly attractive boys, usually ones without personalities to match. And there was just nothing that bonded them. 

“You alright there?” Ekko, frowning. 

“Uh, yeah. I was just thinking.”

“Looked like a bad time.”

Ezreal glanced back at him. “Yeah.” 

“It's going to be dinner time soon,” said Ekko. 

Ezreal tilted his head, unsure of where he was coming from.

“You need to go home soon, yeah?”

“Don’t you?” 

Ekko shrugged. “I gotta meet my chauffeur at the school anyways.”

“I can walk you there—”

“I don't need you to.”

Ezreal shut his mouth, cheeks pink. 

“I’ll see you around, Ezreal. Thanks for hanging out.”

The blond barely sputtered out a coherent goodbye as the Zaunite walked away. 

It occurred to him that he simply could follow and imposed himself as his official walking companion, but it'd make the situation worse than it was. 

It was just Ekko’s power over him; the ability to make Ezreal second guess what would have been instantaneous, near instinctual actions. 

* * *

Ezreal walked to the bus stop alone. He felt a little silly that he was still beating himself up over the small hang out with Ekko. Maybe he had done something foolish or said something or maybe had made a stupid face, otherwise Ekko wouldn't have abruptly left him.

Ezreal felt stupid, yet again.

Video games, music, books, homework—anything to distract him from this nightmare, even if he couldn't stop thinking about the afternoon. 

But no. 

He was trapped waiting for his bus. 

He certainly knew his parents wouldn't be home until later. Something about lab work. Ezreal wasn't ever sure and he wasn't ever bothered by it. 

On his way home, he thought about what he should make for dinner. He didn't know what he would have on hand. He'd have to figure that out then. 

* * *

Ezreal ate his dinner. He made something simple, nothing too fancy. He made sure to eat some vegetables, in case his parents decided to check. 

He was still anxious about Ekko’s thoughts on him—did Ekko think he was a weird? Did he think he was annoying? Was he ever going to talk to him again? 

It was silly, but Ezreal cared anyways. 

So far, all Ekko had to say about him was that he had stalker-like tendencies. Which sucked. 

As he washed his dishes, he hung his head. He probably looked like an idiot to Ekko—he probably only wanted to hang out out of pity or something. Ezreal groaned. 

* * *

It had been another uneventful day at school. He didn't even get to see Lux all day, but with the Valentine’s Day events coming up, he didn't blame her. He was sure it was a busy time at all those council or union or whatever meetings. 

He lugged his knapsack out from his locker and shut the metal door. A familiar whine of metal met his ears and he barely reacted to it. He supposed he was used to it by now. 

He walked out from the building and went on his autopilot path to the bus stop. But before he could even get to the end of the block to cross the street, Ekko caught his attention (as it often does).

“Hey Ezreal,” he gave a small wave. 

“I thought you'd hate me after yesterday,” Ezreal said without thinking. Ekko casted him a strange look. 

“Why? What'd you do?”

“Nothing,” Ezreal said quickly, face burning up. “Forget I said anything.”

Ekko grimaced. “Kind of hard not to.”

Time to bite the bullet. Ezreal can either rip his hair out forever about not knowing, or just know now. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, that should be fine,” Ekko frowned. 

Alright, here it goes. “Do you want to go on a date?”

Ekko looked him in the eye. “So you weren't joking about Lux not being your girlfriend.”

“Why would I joke about that?”

Ekko shrugged. “Can I answer your question later?”

Ezreal’s mind blanked. “Uh. Sure.”

“Cool. I’ll see—”

“—you later,” Ezreal finished for him. Ekko gave half a smile and nodded, before turning away. 

* * *

It was worse. 

Way worse. 

Why did he need the extra time to think? To come up with an answer? Did Ekko need it to formulate a gentle way to let him down? Or worse—to never talk to him again. 

Well. At least then, Ezreal would know the answer. 

The thoughts continued to plague him all the way home. 

He had asked in order to get some closure. To know whether he should stop hoping or not. The uncertainty was killing him and asking Ekko only prolonged it. 

Was it a mistake to have asked?

Maybe Ekko thought he was weird. Maybe Ekko misinterpreted it. Maybe Ekko this. Maybe Ekko that. 

* * *

It served to make Ezreal feel more anxious about school. 

He hasn't felt this anxious since the first day to the League. 

* * *

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“So. Um. Did you think about it?”

Ekko ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

“Yeah? So. What’s your answer?” Ezreal asked nervously. 

Ekko gave him a strange look. “That was the answer. I’ll go on a date with you.”

Oh. “Oh!” said Ezreal, dumbstruck. “That's cool. That's great! Uh. I’ll pick you up at six?”

The Zaunite frowned. It was a deep set frown—a very practiced frown. His dark brows crinkled and his eyes narrowed, not quite in suspicion, but in thought. Ezreal didn't know what to make of it. He was scared, though. 

“Zaun is far. I’ll meet you somewhere. The school?”

“Uh. Yeah. Yeah! Sure, sounds good,” Ezreal replied quickly. “At six?”

“At six,” Ekko nodded. “I'll see you.”

Ezreal said his goodbye and almost ran to the bus station. He didn't expect it. He didn't expect it at all. He had been preparing for the worst case scenario all day and it didn't happen. He said yes and Ezreal wasn't quite sure on what to do. 

Sure, he had vaguely planned to take him out for dinner and then stroll through the park—especially since the fluorescent flowers were in bloom. He figured Ekko would appreciate those. 

But what Ezreal neglected to plan for was the public backlash (or the threat of one).

Yeah, Piltover and Noxus were fairly neutral on the stance of queer relationships, but it didn't reflect every and all folks. 

What if they get stared at? 

What if people say things about them? 

That’d ruin a date—harassment and staring—so romantic. It was safe to say that it was Ezreal’s first public appearance as an obviously gay person. How about Ekko?

What if Ekko had no idea what a date was? What the implications were?

What if he thought it was a synonym for hanging out? Ezreal resisted the urge to grab the sides of his head and scream. 

Why didn't Ezreal come up with these possibilities earlier? It would have saved him some grief. Right?

Maybe he should have explained himself a little more. 

Ezreal stepped off his bus at the stop a couple blocks from his home. Right. No need to panic. 

Just. Shower. Get clean. 

His blond hair was a mop on his hand and through the foggy mirror, he tried to hand comb it to the side. 

He wrapped a towel around his waist and scrambled to his room, feeling nervous about what to wear. 

The tapered winter chill was still set and a coat was needed. He rummaged through his closet and dresser, having trouble putting an outfit together together. 

He checked the time. 

He had a few minutes left to sort, but he needed to catch the bus back to school or he would risk being late. He did not want to be late. 

* * *

When Ezreal arrived at the bus stop across the street from the school, he noted that the limousine was parked out front—a lone car at the curb in the evening light (or lack of thereof).

He crossed and as he neared, a car door opened and Ekko stepped out. 

“You're early,” said Ezreal, watching him shut the door. He was wearing his backpack. 

“As are you,” Ekko replied. He turned his head over his shoulder to the vehicle. “You can leave.” There was movement through the tinted windows and the engine flickered to a start. The limousine drove away and the pair watched it until it disappeared behind a corner. 

“So.”

“So?”

“Lead the way.”

They walked, side by side, and for the first time, Ezreal noticed their proximity within one another and it made him flush with nervousness. “You know what a date is, right?” he asked quietly. 

“Yes. I’m not dumb.”

But he still didn't quite answer his question. “No, I mean—” 

He stopped mid-stride. What did he mean? What did he intend to convey? “I like you. And not in a friend way.”

“Yes,” Ekko stopped to face to Ezreal, puzzled. “I know.

“Oh.”

Ekko snorted as they resumed walking. 

As long as he was still embarrassing himself, Ezreal asked another question: “Do you like me?”

Ekko didn't break his gait as he kept his head facing forwards. Ezreal wasn't sure on whether he was still pondering his answer or simply ignoring him. 

“Well?” he prodded. 

Ekko studied him. “We’ll see.”

Pressure sat down heavily on Ezreal. What did he mean?!

“Should I be worried?” he asked, forcing a confident smile. 

Ekko stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and shook his head with an amused look, “I feel like that’s a question more suited towards yourself.”

He had an answer for everything. Ezreal tried not to let it faze him—he really did—but he might have inadvertently showed Ekko that it did. Could have been through any one of his fidgeting habits or nervous ticks—Ezreal didn't know. 

“Sorry,” Ekko said, voice softer. “I know I do that.”

“Yeah, you told me,” Ezreal said, abashed. “It's nothing, I honestly don't mind. I like how intense you are.”

“Intense,” Ekko repeated, a little sceptical. “If you want to call it that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October 10, 2019.
> 
> Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
> 
> In early October 2019, I found this near complete draft under a nondescript file name and it had been last edited at some point in 2016. I read through it and liked it well enough to publish three full years later with minimal editing. There are more chapters written up, but I want to give them greater scrutiny before I release it to the big, wide, scary world. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! Zjol.


	2. Phase Dive

After dinner, they walked out to the park. Ezreal had been worried that it might have been too early in the season to see the flowers and leaves with glowing lights. It wasn’t. Ekko was enamoured. 

The mosses caught his attention more than anything and he brushed his fingers lightly across the plush softness, delighted when they glowed under his touch. 

“Wow,” he breathed. Ezreal agreed.

The faint colour of the glowing foliage all around them lit up their faces, their noses and cheeks pink from the evening chill. It was a treat to watch Ekko’s dark eyes darted from blossom to blossom, shining with wonder. 

When Ekko took a step back from a bed of fluorescent flowers, Ezreal reached out, his pinky brushing Ekko’s hand. He turned to look at him, smiling and twining the rest of their fingers together. Ezreal’s face and chest flooded with warmth as Ekko laughed and squeezed his hand, sounding particularly relieved. 

“It’s not a secret, Ezreal,” he said, amused. 

“Oh. I...couldn't tell,” he said without thinking. He flushed a deeper crimson when Ekko laughed louder. 

* * *

After, Ezreal walked him back to the school. They held hands the entire time. 

As they turned onto the block and noticed the limousine already there, waiting for Ekko. He let go of his hand to grip both his shoulders. “Thanks. For tonight. I had a really good time,” Ekko said. He faced him, though his eyes were watching the vehicle over Ezreal’s shoulder. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Yeah,” Ezreal said, confused. “I had a good time, too.”

Ekko offered a small apologetic smile before he ducked away towards the car. 

* * *

It was Monday and Ekko was already waiting for him by the lockers, looking exhausted. 

“Hey,” he said. 

Ezreal beamed. “Morning. You’re here early.”

“Yeah, I needed to get out of the house.”

“Oh.” Ezreal frowned. “Why? Something the matter?”

Ekko looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Yeah. My guardian.”

“Are you okay?” Ezreal asked. 

“I’m fine.” 

Ezreal watched him fidget with the hem of his shirt, all the while nervous himself. “Hey, I’m really sorry that you have to deal with that. It isn't easy.” Ekko nodded at his words as Ezreal chewed his lip, feeling the dawn of the inevitable. “Would it...would it be better if I leave you alone?” 

The Zaunite raised his head, meeting his gaze. “Do you want to?”

Ezreal wasn’t prepared to answer that. “I mean. If you want me to.” 

In an unaffected air, Ekko shrugged. “No, I’m not letting my guardian control me.” He looked adamant about it, but already weary. 

“You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear that,” Ezreal said, smiling nervously. 

Ekko reached forwards and touched Ezreal’s hand tentatively. “Me, too,” he said, looking down at their entwined fingers. 

* * *

Maybe it had been rushed and maybe Ezreal wouldn’t feel this bad. After classes were over, he met up with Ekko, hoping to see him one last time before school tomorrow. At that time, the Zaunite informed him that he had no desire to return home just yet and that he much preferred to spend time with him. 

Holding hands, they walked out, but Ekko refused to see sights. He wanted to go home with Ezreal. 

Nervously, Ezreal took the bus with him and arrived at his home just past the borders of Piltover. 

“Do you want me to make some food?” Ezreal asked, putting down his knapsack. 

Ekko shook his head. “I’m fine.”

He didn't look it. His eyes were glazed over, bags hanging from them. He had a permanent worrisome look, his brows slightly knit and lips slightly pursed. For a moment, Ezreal wondered whether he was scared to return home. 

He naively dashed those thoughts away. 

“Do you want to sleep over tonight?” And maybe avoid your guardian? But Ezreal did not say. 

Ekko looked at him, “I don’t sleep with people on the second date,” he said pointedly.

Ezreal felt his cheeks warm. “No, I didn't mean it like that. I thought maybe you’d—”

Ekko smiled weakly. “I was just teasing you, Ez. And I can't stay. But, thanks anyways.” He sat in the down in the dining room and Ezreal followed suit, watching him attentively. “You’re worried,” Ekko said, leaning against the table. “That's sweet.”

Ezreal tucked blond strands behind his ear and gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, of course I am.” He looked down at the table. “Your guardian isn't so supportive, huh?”

“You’re not wrong,” Ekko replied. He reached for his knapsack and pulled books and folders from it. Upon receiving a curious look from Ezreal, he sighed, “Might as well use this time to do some homework.”

“Thought you were too cool for homework,” Ezreal replied, taking out his own. 

“It’s better than talking about me.”

Ezreal bit his lip. “I still want to listen,” he offered.

A wry smile appeared on Ekko’s lips. “I didn't mean it as it was boring to listen to, I meant it as it sucks to talk about.”

Oh. Ezreal shut his mouth. 

As the clock ticked closer to the evening, Ekko became increasingly restless. He didn't seem to be all too aware that he was displaying his nervousness and Ezreal didn't feel right about pointing it out. 

But when Ekko’s eyes widened all too fearfully when he checked the clock for the umpteenth time, Ezreal stepped in. 

“Ekko, what’s wrong?”

The Zaunite didn't look at him. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Ezreal frowned. That’s it? “It’s down the hall on the left,” he said. Ekko nodded and left, but when no sounds were heard in the coming minutes, Ezreal became worried and he followed. 

He gave a knock. “Ekko.” But he did not answer. He knocked again. “Ekko, I’m worried.”

“I’m fine. I needed some time alone.”

Ezreal was taken aback. But in the bathroom? “Can I come in?” he asked. Ekko was quiet and Ezreal felt weird standing in front of a closed off silent bathroom, like a creep trying to listen in.

“Yeah,” Ekko said finally. 

Ezreal tried the knob, but it didn't budge an inch. “I, uh. Need you to unlock the door.”

He waited patiently as the telltale click sounded and he tried again. He peered inside. 

“Ekko,” he said, wide-eyed. The Zaunite had the toilet cover down and he was seated on it, looking exhausted and worn out. 

“Hey,” he replied quietly. 

“It’s probably more comfortable in my room,” Ezreal said, looking at the plastic seat. 

Ekko snorted. “Trying to get me into bed again?”

“No!” Ezreal interjected, face hot. “Not like that, at all, I swear.” Ekko looked at him, his usual confident gaze soft and tired. He didn't argue. 

Ekko made himself comfortable on the office chair in Ezreal’s room. Legs stretched out and head tilted back, he lounged there, both characteristically and uncharacteristically silent. 

“I’m tired,” he admitted. Ezreal shut the door behind him, both their knapsacks in hand. 

“Yeah. You look it.”

“I’m so tired,” he said. There was a note of desperation in his voice. Ezreal placed the bags down by his desk. In some odd, naive fashion, it scared him. 

“When was the last time you had slept? You know. Properly.”

“A really long time,” he said. 

Ezreal chewed his lip, afraid to ask the inevitable. “Did you have a good night sleep since Friday?” Since the day we went on a date? Since the day your guardian found out?

Ekko gave a chortle as he brought his forearm to rest across his eyes as he leaned further into his seat. 

“Ekko?” he prodded. 

“Not really,” Ekko admitted. Ezreal froze. 

“Was it my fault?”

Ekko let the question hang in the air unanswered. 

“Ekko.”

With a sharp intake of breath, “No, man. It wasn’t.”

The answer did nothing to placate his worries. Ekko wasn't being truthful. Ezreal silently went over to his bed and peeled his blanket off. Ekko watched him as he neared, holding the blanket up. 

“Ez, what are you doing?” he asked. The blond didn't answer as he laid it down over his body before scooping him up from the chair. “Whoa! Okay. You looked a lot weaker than that.”

Ezreal peered at him. “You’re not even heavy,” he said, struggling to hold him up. 

As he brought a bundled up Ekko to the bed, the latter opted to speak up, “You really do want me in bed.”

Ezreal rolled his eyes. “Stop making me out to be some sort of...predator.” He laid him down and tucked him in, making sure he was comfortable. “Now sleep.”

“Those two statements contradict each other,” Ekko pointed out, a smile cinching a corner of his lips. Ezreal made a frustrated noise as he turned off the light. He leaned over to turn on his desk lamp, as to not totally leave them in the dark. Because he was 100% not a creep. 

“You want me here or out?” Ezreal asked. 

Ekko gave him a sad look. “I can't stay, Ez.”

“Why not? Just call your guardian or chauffeur or whoever and say you're working on a project and that you'll need to sleep over.”

“It’s not that easy, man.”

“Why not?”

Ekko puffed his cheeks out in thought. “I need to be in Zaun.”

“Legally?”

“Well, no—”

“Then what?” Ezreal was growing frustrated. 

“I just need to be in Zaun.”

“Just one night of sleep, Ekko,” Ezreal pleaded. “If not for you, then for me. You’re like a walking corpse.”

“That makes me feel so much better.”

“Sorry. But you know what I mean.”

Ekko sat up, blankets dropping to pool at his waist. “Ezreal, I’ve never not been in Zaun at night. It just doesn’t feel safe being away.”

The Piltovian sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’ll be fine. It's just one night.” Ekko looked about to protest. “Just one.”

Ekko pushed the sheets aside and stood up, looking around distractedly. “I just need to leave a message with my guardian.”

Ezreal gestured to their knapsack pile. “Your bag’s there,” he said, watching as Ekko walked across the room, each step emptier than the last. 

He stepped out of the room and Ezreal tried to tune out the low rumble of his conversation. Ekko sounded distressed, but Ezreal brushed it off as a standard permission seeking argument. 

Ekko returned, looking appropriately enervated. “You’re sure you’re alright with this?”

Ezreal nodded. “Yeah, it's not a problem.”

Ekko pressed his lips together. “What about your parents?”

“They aren’t usually home until much later. Or they stay at the lab, it's really not predetermined at all,” Ezreal shrugged. “And they won't mind.”

Ekko mustered a smile; small, but genuine. “It’s confirmed. You’re a creep.” When Ezreal opened his mouth to protest, he continued, “But thank you. I appreciate it.” 

“I told you, it's not a problem.”

Ekko pulled off his sweater and climbed into the bed as he reached for the sheets. 

“So,” Ezreal said, straightening up. “Do you want me in the room or out?”

Ekko looked at him strangely. “In the room?” he answered, unsure of how it was a question. 

“Okay, I wasn't sure if today was a floor day or a couch day—”

Ekko frowned. “Neither. I’m not a prude.” Ezreal flushed at the implications that he, instead, might be one. Ezreal nervously pulled off his sweater under Ekko’s gaze, which only served to make his flush deepen in colour. 

He slipped under the sheets, awkwardly keeping his arms at his sides, like it was inappropriate to touch Ekko, and he leaned his head back on the second pillow. He felt Ekko shift and he turned his head to look at him. 

The yellow lamplight glinted off his silver hair, catching the warmth of the colour brilliantly, overlaying a shell of gold. 

“What's wrong?” Ezreal whispered. 

“Nothing,” Ekko whispered back. “Goodnight.”

“Night,” he replied. He felt Ekko flop back down onto the bed and turn away from him, the sheets pulling gently with him. 

Ezreal stared at the ceiling until his eyes ached.

* * *

Lux strolled up behind Ezreal and bopped him on the head with the palm of her hand. “When were you going to tell me?”

“Firstly, ow. Secondly, I would have told you as soon as possible, but you were busy doing that stupid union council club thing,” Ezreal pointed out, rubbing his head. 

“Firstly, you deserve it. Secondly, have you ever heard of a cell phone?” she asked, incredulous. “Call me! Or text me! It's so easy, Ezreal.”

Sheepishly, he lowered his hand. “I’m not too fond of using it, honestly.”

She cocked her head, her dangly earrings swinging and catching the light. “You alright?” she asked. Her tone changed immediately to the Lux patented serious business voice and Ezreal chewed his lip as he looked around. 

He leaned towards her and lowered his voice. “I woke up this morning and Ekko was just gone. I haven't seen him since. I don’t even know when he had left—”

Lux peeled back in horror. “You’re already sleeping with him?” she whispered hoarsely. 

“What? No!” Ezreal shook his head. “No, it's not like that.” He exhaled sharply at her look of disbelief. “Really. I'm just really worried about him.”

“I haven’t seen him around, either,” she said after a thought. “You’re such a sap, Ez,” she continued quietly. “I'm sure he’s fine. Just needed to clear his head.”

“His guardian doesn't really accept him for, you know,” Ezreal whispered back. Lux blinked. 

“His guardian found out?”

“The chauffeur saw us holding hands. I think they could put two and two together.”

“Chauffeur? Do you know the last name of his family?”

Ezreal shook his head. “No idea. Ekko hates talking about it.”

Lux made a pitying face as she looked away. “That sucks. Do you think he’s in danger?”

“I hope not. But Ekko never talks about his home life, so I really have no clue.”

Lux turned back to him, face pale. “I just hope to the gods his foster family is better than the Crownguards,” she whispered. Quickly, she shook her head, as if to scatter the thoughts surrounding her. “I’m sure he’s fine. I gotta go to a meeting. Text me. Don't forget.”

She waved goodbye and walked off, shoulders uncharacteristically slumped, leaving Ezreal feeling none the better. 

* * *

He thought he saw him walking to a familiar dark car. Pale hair glinting in the afternoon sunlight, dark complexion. Ezreal nearly ran his way there only to realize he knew not of the person and he sheepishly walked away. 

He was worried. And if he were to be completely honest, he was mostly worried about Ekko’s perception of him. Did he leave because Ezreal had slept weird? Did he leave because he was uncomfortable? Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he tell him anything? 

* * *

Ezreal spent every morning before class and every afternoon after class, hanging around the lockers, hoping to catch Ekko. 

By the second week, he realized that he had never seen Ekko use his locker. Only standing by it, watching him instead. 

Ezreal felt hopeless. 

* * *

Lux dropped by his house with cookies and loose leaf tea. She brewed two cups, one for each of them, and together, they sat in his modest kitchen, sipping and eating quietly. 

“I really miss him, Lux,” he said, tired. 

She nodded with compassionate eyes. “I know.”

“Do you think he hates me?”

“I wouldn't dream of it.”

“Where do you think he is?” he asked, slumped over his kitchen table. Lux tapped her painted nails against the wood grain, as she frowned in thought. 

“Do you think he got pulled out of the school?”

“What?” Ezreal shot up, distressed and confused. It was an absolute possibility and Ezreal was not too keen to hear the reasoning. 

“You know. If his family doesn't like him being all gay, they might pull him out of school and dump him in a new one for a fresh start.”

“That's...that's really extreme,” Ezreal said meekly. 

Lux shrugged, looking at him. “That’s what my dad would do to me if he found out.”

“I want to see him again, I really hope he’s just sick or just busy—”

“Or just avoiding you?”

“Or just avoiding me?” Ezreal echoed slowly. “He wouldn't do that.”

Lux pressed her lips into a thin line and gave him a wry look of pity. “He has done it before,” she pointed out.

“Well, that was because I was being creepy,” Ezreal muttered. 

“Are you being creepy now?” 

“I don't think so.”

She gave him that look again. “You're naïve, Ez. And a little unaware.” She corrected herself, “I’d say a little more than unaware. You’re completely clueless.”

He huffed and brought his mug up, cradling it with both hands. “I don't know, he seemed fine when I last saw him.”

“Honestly, I think he’s just avoiding you. It’s better than the alternative,” she said, picking at a cookie. After a moment of silence, she looked up at him. “Sorry,” she added. 

Ezreal felt like the world was falling apart, the pieces hitting his shoulders on their way down. He slumped forwards on the table and let out a frustrated groan. “This sucks.”

Lux only made a small noise of agreement. 

But he wasn't about to give up yet. He needed a concrete, sure fire answer. 

So he camped the front drop off zone on Monday. He got to school early and walked up the steps and dropped his knapsack by the railing and sat down beside it. It was still early, but he should be the earliest, and he watched as the school yard became more and more busy as it got closer to the start of classes. 

Ezreal didn't recognize more than half of the students coming in. Some were dropped off, some arriving from the bus station, but none of them resembled the Zaunite. 

Ezreal got bored quick, but shook his head to dispel the thoughts. He was on a mission now. A mission to find Ekko. Ultimately, to get an answer. 

It needn't be this difficult and as it got within ten minutes of the bell, Ezreal began to worry that maybe Lux’s hypothesis had been right and that Ekko might have been moved to another school. In which case, Ezreal felt disappointment fall onto him once more. 

He liked Ekko. He liked him a lot. He was handsome and he always had an answer to everything. 

Ezreal stood with his knapsack in hand. He could only wait a few minutes longer before he needed to rush to class. The crowd was diffusing quickly into the school, other students also needing to arrive to class on time. Ezreal watched idly. 

“Ekko.”

His mouth was quicker than his brain, calling out the Zaunite’s name before he even registered him brushing past. 

Ekko turned to look at him, his dark eyes wide with recognition. “I have to get to class.”

In his stupor, Ezreal struggled to find the words. He stumbled on the syllables before blurting out, “Will I see you later?”

But Ekko had already slipped inside the school. 

* * *

“And he just never showed up?” Lux asked, incredulously. 

She had invited him over to do homework together over a snacks prepared by her house servants—something Ezreal couldn't find himself getting used to. 

“No, I don't know what I had expected.”

“He’s a flake.”

“He's a flake,” Ezreal admitted. 

Lux took a swig of water. “I know you don't care, but the whole school’s been talking about you.”

“What?”

“Yeah, you didn't notice?”

“No!”

“Yeah, well, they tend to stop gossiping around me since we’re friends.”

Ezreal shook his head. “What do they say about me?” He paused, scratching at his nose. “You know. Not that I care.”

She snickered nevertheless. “Just stuff about Ekko mostly. They pretty much labelled him as gay thanks to you and now they're speculating on how your relationship is doing—and I gotta say, Ez, not great.”

“It's not like Ekko gave me any indication he wanted to keep it a secret. He was the one who held  _ my _ hand in school!”

“That detail doesn't really concern the gossipers.”

Ezreal fell silent for a moment as he mulled the thoughts in his head. “They don't say anything bad about him, right?”

Lux sucked in her cheeks and her eyes darted to the floor. “They do,” she said apologetically. “But it's gossip. It's always bad things or it wouldn’t be gossip.”

Ezreal crossed his arms on the table and rested his chin on them. “I don't want them to think about Ekko like that.”

Lux made a face as she turned back to her homework. “I’m sure he’s not a bad guy, Ez. But—”

“I don't like where this is going,” Ezreal interjected weakly. 

“But,” Lux continued, a little louder. “It sounds like his habit of, uh, unexplained absences isn’t doing too much good for you.”

“It’s not his fault.”

“You look like crap.”

Ezreal went from defensive to surprised. It wasn't that Lux was rarely brutally honest, it was just how she had chosen to phrase it.

“Ezreal, you look like you haven't had sleep in a while.”

“I’m a little stressed,” he admitted. Lux looked like she had a response in queue, but she kept her mouth shut. “Lux, I care about him, I’m just worried about him.”

“And same here, but about you,” she said, tapping her nails against her notes. She looked introspective and then cautious, before she opened her mouth to speak. “Ezreal, what do you even know about him?”

Taken aback, “What do you mean?” 

She seemed to steel herself. “Ezreal, I think you, I don't know, you are too invested in this guy?”

He frowned. “I like him.”

“Right,” she nodded. “But, uh.” She exhaled with difficulty. “Ezreal, I don't think he shares the same feelings. For you, I mean.”

“Why are you saying that?” Ezreal replied.

“I don't know, it just seems like it's so one-sided!”

“It's not,” he said. 

“I don't want you to get your hopes up and then get hurt, I don't want that to happen, Ez.” She sighed as she leaned back in her chair.

Ezreal fell silent, his eyes shifting to the floor. He was uncomfortable. It had never crossed his mind that maybe Ekko had no interest in a relationship. Maybe he just dated for fun. Maybe it wasn't real. Ezreal felt his lip quiver. If he recalled correctly, the Zaunite had even expressed his disinterest. 

“Ez,” Lux started.

“I’m not sure anymore,” Ezreal said aloud. 

“Of what?” Lux asked, sounding like she already knew the answer. 

Ezreal looked at her, a little bemused and a little disappointed, but resolved. “I still like him. A lot. I know that for certain. And I’ll be okay if he wants a casual relationship.”

“That's mighty big of you, Ez,” she replied, her blue eyes watching his face, wide and concerned. “But you don't have to, if you don't want to—”

“I want to.”

“And this is probably a conversation to have with him,” she said awkwardly. 

He flushed. Probably. 

“Right, I’ll get on that. I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow at school.”

“Don't you have his number? Or have you both sworn off cell phones?”

Ezreal shrugged, suddenly pensive. “He has a cell phone, but he's never given me his number.”

Lux kept her mouth shut about it, deciding that it was for the best. “Tomorrow, it is,” she declared. 

Tomorrow, it is. 

When he had least expected it, Ekko approached him. “Hey,” he said. 

“Ekko,” Ezreal replied, surprise on his face. “Hey.” He closed his locker door, in case he'd forget, locking it before turning to the Zaunite. He didn't look tired anymore. He just looked bored. 

“Sorry for being away,” he said, hesitantly. “I didn't mean to be.” 

“I missed you,” blurted Ezreal, feeling his cheeks warm with the weight of the words. “A lot. I’m a sap, I know.”

Ekko perked a corner of his lips, a signature brand of his own smile. “Walk with me?” he asked. 

Flustered, “Yeah, of course,” Ezreal answered. Ekko didn't offer his hand. 

They walked off the school property, each quiet in their own thoughts. Ezreal unashamedly studied him through the corner of his eyes and, almost disappointedly, noted that Ekko looked exceptionally well. He seemed to have had sleep and was eating properly. He didn't look like the past weeks had been solid stress, like it had been for him. 

“Where are we going?” Ezreal asked. 

Ekko didn't break his gait, his eyes pointed straight ahead. “Anywhere,” he said. “I’m just walking.”

“Fine by me,” Ezreal replied, though honestly, he just wanted to talk and to hold his hand, but he didn't feel too welcome. 

“Is it?” Ekko glanced at him. 

“No, not really, I'm kind of upset over not seeing you in the past couple week.”

Ekko looked away. 

“Can we talk about that?” Ezreal prodded. 

“No. I don't want to,” Ekko said. 

* * *

Ezreal threw open the door to his room and tossed—whipped—his knapsack to his bed, his books and papers landing with a weighted thud. 

He ended up slamming his door shut, too, though he didn't quite intend it to sound as loudly as it did and he jumped at it, startling himself. 

Angry, and perhaps embarrassed, he tore off his school sweater and jumped into his bed, feeling like he wanted to sleep and never wake up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October 18, 2020. 
> 
> Hi. Thanks for waiting a whole year for me to confront this draft. 
> 
> Originally, this was meant for a more lighthearted and fun fic for me to work on when I need a break from writing my other stuff. But then the reverse happened.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading. Please check out my other fics! Zjol.


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